Stopper



Dec. 25, 1923.

M- COMES STOPPER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sent. 27, 1.922

" Gttommp Dec. 25, 1923. 1,478,891

M. COMES STOPPER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sent. 2'7 1922 Patented Dec. 25, 1923.

' .UNITED stares PATENT OFFICE.

MASON COMES, OF PINEVILLE, KENTUCKY.

STOPPER.

Application filed September 27, 1922. SeriallNo. 590,868 I I To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MASON CoMBs, citizen of the United States, residing at Pineville,

in the county'of Bell and State of Kentucky,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stoppers, of which thefol-v lowing is a specification. This invention relates to an improved stopper for bottles or other containers, being particularly designed for use by druggists, doctors or the like, and seeks, as one of its principal objects, to provide a stopper which,

without removing or dislocating the stopper,

may be adjusted within the neck of a bottle to regulate the discharge of the contents of the bottle in drops.

A further object of the invention is to provide a stopper which may beadjusted. for dropping heavy orviscous fluids aswell as lighter fluids.

And the invention has as a stillfurther object to provide a stopper wherein any *given fluid may be dropped in uniform.

drops.

O her and incidental objects will appear hereinafter.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a fragmentary sectional view showing my imp-rovedstopper in connection 0 with an ordinary bottle,

Figure 2 i a sectional view on the line 22 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows,

Figure 3 is a view showing the stopper 7 adjusted for dropping, Figure dis a sectional View on the line 4-4 of Figure 3, looking in the direction of the arrows,

Figure 5is a fragmentary sectional view showing the stopper adjusted for dropping viscous or heavy fluids, I

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the:

Figure 11 is a sectional view similar to Figure 10, showing the manner in which the sections of the stopper may be adjusted. for dropping different fluids, and i Figure-12 is a detail Perspective e the modified construction; i

In carryingthe nvent on into efiect, I employ a longitudinally tapered stopper body which is split transversely near the inner endthereof' into companion sections 10 and '11 respectively. The stopper body may beformed of cork, rubber orother.

approved material and extending axially through the sections of the body is a rod 12 rotatably connecting the sections. ,This rod may be of metal or, if preferred, maybe of so as to resist the action. of acids and secured upon theends of the rod are heads 13 forsustaining' endwise pull upon the stopper. A 'best shown inFigure 6, the

sections 10 and 11 of the stopper body are cut away toyprovideflat faces 15 and 16 and formed ineach of said faces 'isa'pair of longitudinally directed grooves, the

groovesin the face 15 ofthesection 10 being indicated at 17 and the grooves in the face 16 of the section 11 being indicated at 18. I

As will be observed, the sections may be rotated relative to each other to dispose the flat faces 15 and 16 thereof in alinement' when the grooves 17 will register with the grooves 18.

In the drawings, I have, in order to clearly bring out themanner of operation of my improved stopper, shown the device in connection with an ordinary bottle 19. In

use, the stopper is, as shown in Figure 1,

forced intothe neck of the bottle in the usual manner when, by rotating the section 10 of the stopper body relative to the sec- .tion 11 thereof until the flat faces 15 and 16 of said sections are disposed opposite each other, the sections will cooperatefor closing the bottle in the manner of an 0rdi-.

nary stopper, it being observed in this con nection, that the section 11'of the stopper body will be frictionally held againstrotation within the neck of the bottle so that the section 10 may be turned individually. For

the purpose of dropping the contents of the bottle therefrom, the section lOof' the stopper body is, as shown in Figures 3 and 4,

turned until the planes of the faces 15 and of the sections of the body are brought into intersecting relation to define a passage at the adjacent side of the stopper and, of course, the section 10 may be rotatably adjusted for varying the cross sectional area of said passage. Accordingly, the section 10 may be set for any given] fluid so that the fluid will issue from said passage in drops of uniform size and by turning the section until one of the grooves 17 of said section is brought into registration with one .of the grooves 18 of the section 11, a channel will be provided at the adjacent si-deof the stopper whereby the capillary force of the fluid in said channel may overcome atmospheric pressure to permit the contents of the bottle to be dropped therefrom even though the bottle is full. For dropping heavy or viscous fluids, the'section 10 of the stopper body is turned to the position shown in Figures 5 and 6 of the drawings, when the flat faces 15 and 16 of the sections of the stopper body will be disposed in alinement while the grooves 17 and 18 will register. A-relatively large passage will thus be defined at the adjacent side of the stopper body through which the contents of the bottle may issue in drops of uniform size.

' In Figures 7 to 12 inclusive, I have illustrated a slight modification of the invention.

wherein I employ a longitudinally tapered stopper-body split near. its inner end into compan on sections 20 and 21 respectively. Rotatably connecting the sections is an axially disposed rod 22, as in the preferred construction, and formed in the section 20 at opposite sides thereof are oppositely disposed longitudinal grooves 28 while the sec tion 21is provided with similar oppositely disposed grooves 24:. For convenience, I have shown the modified stopper in conjunctionwith an ordinary bottle 25, the stopper being formed to engage in the neck of the bottle in the manner of anordinary stopper.

As will now be seen, the outer section 20 may, as shown in Figure 7, be turned with respect to the inner section 21 of the stopper body to dispose the grooves 23 of the former section in register with the grooves 24 of the latter section. Passages will thus be de-.

fined at opposite sides of the stopper and in use, the bottle is preferably so held that one of said passages will be disposed downwardly while the other of said passages will be disposed upwardly. Accordingly, since,

,when the bottle is so held, the fluid within the bottle will otter less resistance to atmospheric pressure at the upper passage than at the lower passage, air will enter the bottle through the upper passage so that the contents of the bottle may be dropped therefrom through the lower passage in'drops of ,uniform size occurring at regular. intervals.

The grooves are preferably of such size that heavy or viscous fluids will readily flow therethrough and, by adjusting the outer er is as shown in Fi ure 10 turned until the grooves therein are disposed completely out of register with the grooves in the section 20, when the sections will cooperate to seal the bottle. 7

Having thus described the invention, what .is claimed as new is:

1. A stopper including a stopper body formed of complemental sections having flat faces, and means independent ofthe sections extending therethrough and connecting the sections for relative rotation whereby said faces may be disposed to define a fluid outlet passage.

2. A stopper including a stopperbody formed of complemental sections provided with angular side faces having grooves therein, and means connecting the sections for relative rotation whereby said faces may be disposed to define a fluid outlet passage whilesaid grooves may bebrought into registration to define a channel at said passage.

3. A stopper including a stopper body formed of complemental sections provided with flat side faces having grooves therein, and means connecting the sections for relative rotation whereby said faceslmay be disposed to define a fluid outletpassage while said grooves may be brought into registration defining a channelat said passage.

4. A stopper comprising coacting body sections, and means rotatably connecting the sections in mating relation to form a stopper body insertable in a bottle neck to frictionally engage the sections thereof with the inner surface of the neck, normally cooperating with each other and with the inner surface of the neck to form a closed joint lying betweenthe ends of the neck, the sections having fluid outlets and one of said sections.

other and with the inner surface of the neck to form a closed joint lying between the ends of the neck, said sections being provided with fluid outlets V and one of the sections being rotatable to dispose said outlets in communication.

neck and normally cooperating With each In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

6. The combination with a fluid container of the neck, said sections being provided with having a neck, of a sectional stopper having fluid outlets, and means connecting the secthe sections thereof fitting in said neck fr-ictions for relative rotation whereby said out- 10 tionally engaging the inner surface of the lets may be disposed in communication.

other and with the inner surface of the neck to form a closed joint lying between the ends MASON COMBS. [L. s.] v 

